Heavenly Father And The Prophet

[EllenMaksoud]

One of the tenants of the Mormon faith is that the Prophet has a special relationship with Heavenly Father. I believe and practice this in my life and believe that those who participate in "in your face" activism as we have witnessed in the last several days are no Mormons at all, despite what they say.  It's been confusing as to why such activity would increase recently and in this mornings news, the facts became clear. There is a new GBLT law running the gauntlet in Washington DC today.

 

The prophet is the only one who can decide these issues for the church and I fully support him.

[thesometimesaint]

One of the tenants of the Mormon faith is that the Prophet has a special relationship with Heavenly Father. I believe and practice this in my life and believe that those who participate in "in your face" activism as we have witnessed in the last several days are no Mormons at all, despite what they say.  It's been confusing as to why such activity would increase recently and in this mornings news, the facts became clear. There is a new GBLT law running the gauntlet in Washington DC today.

 

The prophet is the only one who can decide these issues for the church and I fully support him.

 

I don't know what you mean by special relationship. We can all receive revelation from God, but just for our area of responsibility. I get to speak authoritatively for myself, my family, and the Callings I hold in the Church. The Prophet gets to speak authoritatively for the whole Church.

[jkwilliams]

Could you please clarify which "in your face activism" you are talking about?

[jkwilliams]

I don't know what you mean by special relationship. We can all receive revelation from God, but just for our area of responsibility. I get to speak authoritatively for myself, my family, and the Callings I hold in the Church. The Prophet gets to speak authoritatively for the whole Church.

 

That's how President Hinckley described it.

[Calm]

I don't know what you mean by special relationship. We can all receive revelation from God, but just for our area of responsibility. I get to speak authoritatively for myself, my family, and the Callings I hold in the Church. The Prophet gets to speak authoritatively for the whole Church.

Being given responsibility for His Church by God does provide the Prophet with a special/unique relationship that no one else in the world has.  But that doesn't mean imo that it is better or more "special" than the relationships everyone has in their stewardships received from the Lord.  It is just different.  I cannot imagine myself that sense that weight of responsibility would have on a person.  For me being given the responsibility of raising two children was more than enough to make me sweat in anxiety, I would never want to be responsible for guiding the path of the Saints churchwide.

[rpn]

The LDS church supported a SLC ordinance about 5 years ago that prohibits discrimination in employment (and housing) on the basis of sexual orientation.   (It also exempted religious organizations.)    It is tough for me to see a business person not pick the best person for a job  --- that just seems so counter to the whole notion of free enterprise.   OTOH, in small businesses (that are home based, or with so few people that one person who is out of sync with the others on any issue can upset the entire business),  differences in world view can have tremendous impact on production and business success.   

 

If I were hiring the issue for me would be whether the person could support the business vision  of the owner, even if it was counter to their own, not whether their vision was the same.

[EllenMaksoud]

Could you please clarify which "in your face activism" you are talking about?

You don't respectfully approach the General Authority of the church concerning your membership rights, by parading yourself on Television News. And I suspect the sincerity of the request because today on the news we find that the GBLT set have gotten a bill started in Washington DC.  It is my guess that the publicity was aimed at putting pressure on voters to approach their representatives to secure a favorable vote there. My opinion is that this whole effort was aimed at embarrassing the GA.

[theplains]

You don't respectfully approach the General Authority of the church concerning your membership rights, by parading yourself on Television News.

 

I have a similar query as jkwilliams. Would you explain exactly what you mean?

 

Thanks,

Jim

[EllenMaksoud]

I have a similar query as jkwilliams. Would you explain exactly what you mean?

 

Thanks,

Jim

I fully believe that Heavenly Father talks to the Prophet, the GA, and the church as a whole, and eventually the right thing will happen. To use media and public opinion to try to push the GA is a faithless action full stop.

 

It is my opinion that being GBLT is primarily a genetic issue and if it is then the prophet will come to that opinion.

 

I have been recruited, refused and bullied because of my position. I know who my lord is and if it were not for him I would not be alive. There is story after story about how the GBLT folk have been mistreated by the church and I have no idea about the hidden details of the stories.

 

Heavenly Father is the center of my life.

Edited November 21, 2013 by EllenMaksoud

[AndyDnom]

has any prophet in the last thirty years provided any insight or details into what their communcations with heavenly father look like? the only one i can think of is when Gordon Hinckley said that he felt an impression that he should spend $1 billion + on the conference center. and that it felt good. Do we have documentation of any others?

[Kenngo1969]

has any prophet in the last thirty years provided any insight or details into what their communcations with heavenly father look like? the only one i can think of is when Gordon Hinckley said that he felt an impression that he should spend $1 billion + on the conference center. and that it felt good. Do we have documentation of any others?

CFR.  I'd like to see the full quote in context, please.  Thanks in advance.

[AndyDnom]

CFR.  I'd like to see the full quote in context, please.  Thanks in advance.

KING: Does that mean that, according to the church canon, the Lord speaks through you?

HINCKLEY: I think he makes his will manifest, yes.

KING: So if you change things, that's done by an edict given to you.

HINCKLEY: Yes, sir. KING: How do you receive it?

HINCKLEY: Well, various ways. It isn't necessarily a voice heard. Impressions come. The building of this very building I think is an evidence of that.

There came an impression, a feeling, that we need to enlarge our facilities where we could hold our conferences. And it was a very bold measure. We had to tear down a big building here and put this building up at great cost.

But goodness sakes, what a wonderful thing it's proven to be. It is an answer to many, many needs. And I think it's the result of inspiration.

KING: And that came from something higher than you.

HINCKLEY: I think so.

[Kenngo1969]

KING: Does that mean that, according to the church canon, the Lord speaks through you?

HINCKLEY: I think he makes his will manifest, yes.

KING: So if you change things, that's done by an edict given to you.

HINCKLEY: Yes, sir. KING: How do you receive it?

HINCKLEY: Well, various ways. It isn't necessarily a voice heard. Impressions come. The building of this very building I think is an evidence of that.

There came an impression, a feeling, that we need to enlarge our facilities where we could hold our conferences. And it was a very bold measure. We had to tear down a big building here and put this building up at great cost.

But goodness sakes, what a wonderful thing it's proven to be. It is an answer to many, many needs. And I think it's the result of inspiration.

KING: And that came from something higher than you.

HINCKLEY: I think so.

I'm not seeing anything with your particular "spin" on it, but I doubt you can provide that, so I'll withdraw my CFR.  You're certainly welcome to your apparent opinion that the 6,000-seat, un-air-conditioned Tabernacle, with poor accoustics, bad sight lines, and little technology (though it was a marvel for its time, remains so in many respects, and certainly is a historical treasure), once built, was, (and forever would be) the best place to hold General Conference and similar large gatherings of the Saints and of the community.  Conversely, I don't think the Conference Center (whatever its cost) was a bad investment.

[cdowis]

I think the most dramatic example is the change in priesthood policy.  Another example is the expansion of the temple building program with "mini-temples".

[hoo rider]

I'm not seeing anything with your particular "spin" on it, but I doubt you can provide that, so I'll withdraw my CFR.  You're certainly welcome to your apparent opinion that the 6,000-seat, un-air-conditioned Tabernacle, with poor accoustics, bad sight lines, and little technology (though it was a marvel for its time, remains so in many respects, and certainly is a historical treasure), once built, was, (and forever would be) the best place to hold General Conference and similar large gatherings of the Saints and of the community.  Conversely, I don't think the Conference Center (whatever its cost) was a bad investment.

 

Ken:  You seem to be reading a lot into Andy's comment that I don't see.  Andy doesn't seem to be arguing that the conference center was a good idea or a bad idea at all.  He cited it only because it contains context of a prophet describing how he (the prophet) received revelation.  

 

I think there are many church members that expect that prophets/apostles have a more direct/different relationship with God compared to your average church member.  For example, I've heard a story many times that the prophet came out of a sealing room in the temple by himself, but the temple worker touched the chairs and found that two of them were warm (implying that two people had been sitting there).  For better or for worse, the prophets/apostles don't go into much detail when describing their relationship with God.  I'd like to know about their prophets/apostles relationship with God.  It doesn't affect my salvation, but it'd be cool to know.  

 

Quick story:  We had a multi-zone conference with President Packer when I was a missionary.  President Packer took questions from the audience and an "eccentric" missionary asked President Packer if being a special witness meant that President Packer had seen the Savior face to face  (the look on our mission president's face was priceless, lol).  President Packer didn't directly answer the question, but talked about what it means to be an apostle for the next 5 minutes.  

[Ahab]

I think there are many church members that expect that prophets/apostles have a more direct/different relationship with God compared to your average church member.  For example, I've heard a story many times that the prophet came out of a sealing room in the temple by himself, but the temple worker touched the chairs and found that two of them were warm (implying that two people had been sitting there).  For better or for worse, the prophets/apostles don't go into much detail when describing their relationship with God.  I'd like to know about their prophets/apostles relationship with God.  It doesn't affect my salvation, but it'd be cool to know.  

 

Quick story:  We had a multi-zone conference with President Packer when I was a missionary.  President Packer took questions from the audience and an "eccentric" missionary asked President Packer if being a special witness meant that President Packer had seen the Savior face to face  (the look on our mission president's face was priceless, lol).  President Packer didn't directly answer the question, but talked about what it means to be an apostle for the next 5 minutes.  

One thing we know, or have been told, is that we can get better and better at discerning communications from our Father from the communications we receive from Satan.  Between good and evil.  Between influences that bring us closer to our Father through Jesus Christ, from the influences that draw us away.  To the point that where it is very easy to know which person is speaking to us, and we know we're not being deceived.

 

There is only so much Satan can do to try to get us to believe that he is the one we should be listening to, don't cha know. 

 

It's all about knowing the difference between good and evil.

[Kenngo1969]

Ken:  You seem to be reading a lot into Andy's comment that I don't see.  Andy doesn't seem to be arguing that the conference center was a good idea or a bad idea at all.  He cited it only because it contains context of a prophet describing how he (the prophet) received revelation. ... 

  

 

 

has any prophet in the last thirty years provided any insight or details into what their communcations with heavenly father look like? the only one i can think of is when Gordon Hinckley said that he felt an impression that he should spend $1 billion + on the conference center. and that it felt good. Do we have documentation of any others? [Emphasis added by Kenngo1969].

 

hoo rider, I was looking for a reference on AndyDNom's "$1 billion plus" snark.  To me, that implies that he feels as though the Conference Center is a bad investment in some way, and/or that the Tabernacle continues to be perfectly well suited to meet the needs of current levels of Church membership, even though the Church when the Tabernacle was completed had a fraction of the membership that it does now.  If he thinks the Conference Center is extravagant, he ought to take a tour of a few mega-churches for comparison's sake.

Edited November 22, 2013 by Kenngo1969